The Indianapolis Star from Indianapolis, Indiana • Page 43

RIDAY, MAY 28, 1976 1 THE INDIANAPOLIS STAR PAGE FASTEST IX CAM TESTS: FOYT I XI Out -i 1 Air Jacks Surprise enske Pops Spirit of Indiana McLaren uncorked. He broke a rod and his crew immediately began another engine change. Billy Puterbaugh spun a bearing in his No. 83 McNamara Eagle but didn't know if he'd lost the engine. JOHNNY PARSONS was the only race starter who failed to get on the track.

Bill Finley and the crew were still installing an engine in Parsons' No. 93 Ayr-WayWIRE car. And Simpson, the second alternate, already had left for Calfornia and his Nikon Eagle never went to the pits. Binford, as per tradition, had a series of meetings with the participants in mid-afternoon. All chief mechanics were brought in for procedure instructions, then Binford talked to the 33 drivers who attended his parley, stressing the start, penalties for abusing the Electropacer system under yellow lights aand proper entrance into the pits.

Afterwards, he talked to the front row drivers and stressed the fact he would like to see intervals of at least 100 feet kept between the rows. Then the front row members talked to the four rookies about what they could expect once the race begins. Yesterday's flurry of activity wound u) the pre-race. on-track work. The public driver's meeting will be held at 11 a.m.

tomorrow in front fo the Tower Terrace and then everything will be buttoned down tight until Sunday morning's festivities. ft HAy I BUT NOT THE SHIRT wany Dailenhach (second from rignt literally had to give Tom Sneva (second from left) the coat off his back as the latter was honored os the 1976 Jim Clark Award winner by the Brittania Club of Indianapolis at the Athletic Club last night. The Clark lartan jacket for Sneva was late arriving, so 1975 Clark winner Dallenbach loaned his coat for picture-taking purposes. Looking on are former Clark Award winners Mario Andretti (left), Dan Gurney (middle) and Peter DePaolo. (Star Photo) JUST LIKE A FAN Singer Marty Robbins, who'll drive the pace tar for Sunday's 500-Mile Race, munches from a couple of boxes of pop corn as he watches pit practice at the Speedway yesterday.

Robbins also drives NASCAR slock cars. (Star Photo by Frank H. Fisse) Celtics Sink Suns Ms Vh vi S7 'A ri THE CELTICS, in winning their eighth playoff game in a row home this year, broke it open with their tremendous surge in the first five minutes of the third period. They outscored the tense, tight, poor-shooting Suns in the opening 3 minutes of the second half. Then, after Phoenix rookie Alvan Adams tipped in a missed shot, the Celtics resumed their decisive charge with another run of eight points for a 66-43 bulge.

During the spree. Havlicek. playing despite pain f'rem torn nuisc'ts his left foot, scored seven points and Charlie Scott had six. MAY IIITIIJI PIIIX Alt ith Surge In 3d Renault Eyes BOO With Paris lAP) A self-effacing, soft- spoken Frenchman will be among the hundreds of thousands at the Indianapolis 500 -Mile Race Sunday and his presence should be causing the engine men from Offenhuuser and Cosworth I no little concern. Because Gerard Larrousse, competi By RAY MARQUETTE Roger Penske threw a "surprise" at the field, A.

J. Foyt was first reprimanded then fined by Chief Steward Tom Binford and Tom Sneva turned the fastest lap of the final Speedway practice session yesterday. Built-in air jacks came popping out from under the two Penske cars and the "surprise" maneuver wasn't nearly as surprising as a lot of people had thought since at least two other racing teams were thinking along the same lines. "But it was the CAMi car of Mario Andretti and the Norton Spirit of Sneva that actually had the jacks in action during pit practice that followed the 3 hours of carburetion tests at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway before Sunday's 500-Mile Race. "IT'S NOT A new concept." said Frankie Del Roy, chief of the United States Auto Club's technical division.

"Don't forget built-in jacks were used about 20 years ago but Penske did get the jump on the other guys by being ready to try it now." The Penske cars went through the pit practice more for formality than anything else, since they'd already had a private session at a nearby tank farm to work the basic bugs out of their pit stop routines. And Foyt, the cool one, showed up in the pits and drove out for practice without wearing the required nomex underwear. He received a talking-to from Binford for that infraction, although no fine was levied. Several hours later, however, Foyt was nailed with a $100 fine for not attending a private-but-mandatory driver's conference. Second alternate Bill Simpson also missed and was fined $25.

IN THE SPEED department, Sneva was a close winner with a lap at 188.166 mph on the electric eye. Since the automatic tinier had no way to ing engines that Britain's Cosworth has become, and whisper it softly-even take the company into grand prix racing with its own car. FOLLOWING MONTHS OF rumors, and leaks about Renault developing a grand prix power plant, the company recently gave out a sparse press re- "Linevvise, the pole is not best starting position. If I had my choice I would trade with Tom Sneva (outside front row). "I am not going to be concerned with leading the first lap-unless it's easy.

I just want to make sure we get a good start." After shrugging off the question about who is going to win, the man who is sponsored by Hy-Gain, a maker of CB radios, was heard humming, "10-4, put the metal to the floor and SUPER SPRINT CAR RACING SAT. NITE MAY 29th Quaf. 7iOO at 1:00 P.M. Added attraction Hobby Stock Racing (no raatrktlan en Sprint Tlrat) PARAGON SPEEDWAY Paragon, Indiana 35 mn S. Wt ot lndp: old Stat Rood 67 2 DOOR SALE! SAVE NOW! plNOW If 3 Jt catch every lap of the 33 cars that got in track time, no one will ever know if Sneva's final runs were the best of the lot but they had to be counted as such.

Pole-sitter Johnny Rutherford and Andretti were next quickest on the "eye." Rutherford was timed at 187.931 mph in the Hy-Gain McLaren and Andretti at 187.266. Foyt turned a lap at 186.451 in the Gilmore Coyote, Bobby Unser was caught at 186.066 in the Fletcher Cobra and Salt Walther had 186.3 mph with hi." Dayton-Walther McLaren. Lloyd Ruby, as calm as usual, let a smile slip forth when he heard talk about the practice speeds. "It's always sorta funny." sas Rube. "Guys come out on these last practice laps and get up to the high 180s or in the 190s then never go faster than 183 or 184 in the race." RUBY, RUNNING right at 183 mph with the Fairco Eagle, seemed perfectly pleased with his efforts.

Al Unser did get his American Racing Wheels Parnelli working right. The best lap recorded for him was 183.861 mph, far off the 191 figure he had flirted with during pre-qualifyirig practice. Gordie Johncock and Wally Dallen-bach were almost identical in their runs with the pair of Sinmast Wildcats at 185-plus. Rookie Spike Gehlhausen didn't really have time to get his No. 19 '500' Sun To Shine Indiana will have only a chance for scattered showers today and tonight and the outlook for tomorrow and Sunday is for mild, dry weather, the National Weather Service here reported late yesterday afternoon.

There's a chance for showers over the southern part of the state today and tonight, the Weather Service reported. But the weather is expected to be very good for tomorrow's 500 Festival Parade and the 500 Mile Race Sunday. Engine lease about the project. It confirmed reports that the engine hud been under test in what was coyly described as a "rolling laboratory vehicle" which the respected sports daily L'Equipe here said looked "Awfully like a grand prix car." The engine, a 1.5 -liter (91 cubic inches), making it equivalent to the current 3-liter (183 cu. in.) grand prix formula, was turning out 500 horsepower" around that of the normally aspirated Cosworth or Ferrari engines.

But the eye opener was the refer ence to possible development of the engine specifically for Indianapolis use. That had not even been suspected and it gave a new dimension to the Renault project. Adding in its current use in sports car racing and a suggestion it could be used in the European Formula II class, and suddenly Renault was talking of a major racing engine program. RENAULT SPOKESMEN took pains to say a final decision on whether or not to go into production would not be made until current testing ends in July. Only at 1 SEDAN 546-1181 II PLUS FREIGHT DEALER PREP.

i-l 'ii jk, I Rutherford To Make Sure Start Is Good And Smooth Boston i APi Boston's indestructible Celtics, spurred by John Havlicek, destroyed frustrated Phoenix with a 20-2 burst at the outset of the second half and went on to beat the Suns, 105-30. last night for their second straight victory in the National Basketball Association championship series. The reeling Suns, losing for the 12th consecutive time on Boston's home court in the last five years, will have the luxury of their own home floor for Games Three and Four Sunday and next Wednesday in the best-of-seven nationally-televised series. The Suns have won 17 of their last 18 games at Phoenix. TONIGHT tions boss of the French auto giant Renault, will be eyeing the possibilities of Renault challenging' the big names in USAC powerplants on their home ground with a versatile new turbo-charged motor.

It is part of a project which could make Renault the world name in rac Sports Over Lightly bBob Collins, Sports Editor roadsters. It was very dusty clouds of dust. Vision was impaired It felt like you were being towed through the turns." How about from the middle? "It's not all that much different. Still dusty, hard to see. You don't worry about the cars behind you, because you are con-centrating on getting through the turns; getting through smoothly and finding the place on the track where you can run comfortably." Sunday, Johnny, the 1974 champion and the runnerup to Bobby Unser last year, will start from the pole for the second time.

How's it from the pole? First he has to throw in his usual funny remark, "If you have trouble, you could get hit 32 times." And then: "THE DRIVER ON the pole has an obligation to bring the field down and get it off to a good start. A good start is extremely important. I've already gone around the track with Tom Binford and Marty Robbins in the pace car. We are concerned only with finding the proper speed to get the field off to a good, smooth start. Houston the World Cup Trophy for the team which made him its first signee before the WHA's first season in 1972-73.

He tallied his 12th goal of the playoffs at 5:37 of the first period while Houston was two men short through penalties to Ted Taylor and Gordie Howe. Taylor gave Houston its only tie the evening by sending a power play shot past Winnipeg goalie Joe Daley at 9:45, but it was all Winnipeg from there on. Ketola and Lyle Moffat made it 3-1 after the first period. Then Ketola ignited a four-goal second period against Houston goalie Ron Grahame with his second tally of the contest. IKE THEY SAY (like who it's difference strokes for different folks.

Almost every year since 1911 the first year Lindsey Hopkins and Roger McCluskey entered as a team we have conducted a race for 500 miles or less out on the west side of Indianapo lis. Now. Are you ready for some facts? Good. Every time some people have started in the front. Some people have started in the middle.

And, get this racine historians, some people have started in the back. SO WHAT'S IT like out there (sounds like a great title for a book), in the front, middle or back when the green flag drops and those machines beam vr-rooming all over the place? John S. Rutherford III, who in his checkered career in pursuit of the checkered flag which he saw when he lapped the field in 1974 has started from a whole heck of a lot of exotic positions. Not the least of which was first. And from which he will be bringing the field around Sunday.

In 1963, his rookie season, Johnny was in the ninth row. They still were driving those big, old noisy roadsters and the drivers were getting hit by vibrations that the men who handle the modern engine -in -the -rear cars could not believe. So what was it like in the ninth row? "Well, the 11th row would have been lovely." Translation: Would have been better to have the field in front where, at least, he could see it. "YOU SAT UP HIGH in those old Jets Sweep Winnipeg (AP) Veli Pekka Keto-la, Anders Hedberg and Peter Sullivan scored two goals each last night, powering the Winnipeg Jets to a 9-1 triumph over Houston and ending the Aeros' two-year reign as World Hockey Association champions. The Jets took a 3-1 lead after the first period on the way to an astonishing sweep of the Aeros, who led by the Howe family of Gordie, Mark and Marty had won the title the past two seasons.

THE OPENING GOAL of the triumph was scored by veteran left wing Bobby Hull, who after three years of disappointment finally claimed of mWmwm SEE INDY "500" DRIVERS BATTLE IT OUT IN HOT SPRINT CARS ON THE NATION'S FASTEST MILE DIRT TRACK. QUAL. 5:30 PM RACE 8:00 PM RESERVED SEAT TICKETS ON SALE 12 NOON TIL 5 PM MON. THRU FRI. ADMINISTRATION BUILDING Reserved Grandstand: All Sections $6.00 General Admission: Sold Day of Race Infield at $4.00, children (12 and under when accompanied by an adult) $1.00.

BOB POWERS TOYOTA 4423 U. SHADELAHD INDIANA STATE FAIRGROUNDS INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA 31 3.